ISSN 1833-766X EthelFalkiner for Lucy Falkiner Penandink design by SOCIETY BOOKPLATE AUSTRALIAN oe n apnns 6 Editorial Notesandhappenings exhibit ’sfirst bookplate ColemanHyman and observer 1 notesfrom biaseda bookplateexhibition: some StateLibrary ofQueensland shortabiography AdrianFeint (1894-1971), CONTENTS [email protected] DulwichHill NSW2203 POBox 555 Keep Mary Designer/Secretary [email protected] 029428 2863 RiverviewNSW2066 Sofala4 Ave FersonDrMark Editor/President

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collectors,bibliophiles, andothersdedicated artists topromoting bookplates

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ByRichard King,J Hobart AdrianFeint (1894-1971), shortabiography a a ud asr o a hw n odn by London in Australian show artists a under the for auspices raiser of fund the a Society was at the gallery of Farmers’ department store, which Clunein her bookplates are documented by his friend Thelma bookplateworld. Two hundredtwentyandone Australian the of doyen the as established him which and years twenty over spanned which life his in chapter a opened 1922 in Library commissionedSydneyMunicipalbyChildrens’ bookplateA life. his of end the enduredto etc Hisassociation withthecircle fellowof workers Artists listed him as an exhibitor that year as well. theand SydneyUreSmith, publisher of joining 1921, in returned he when studies art duration of the First World War. He resumed his driverandmedic inBelgium andFrance forthe ambulance an as enlisted and 1912 in School Art Ashton Julian the joined He Sydney. in completed his studies at Fort Street High School then he locally, Educated newsagent. the was father his where Narrandera of town country AdrianFeint NewthebornwasinSouth Wales creationGrosvenorof GalleriesSydney, in with the Taylor, in Wal note, of bookbinder with partnership his saw 1924 figures’. of drawing his in improvement for room considerable is there but composition of sense fine a has He drawings. larger his with successful so always not is bookplates for designs excellent done recently has who ‘ wrote:author, and critic art Moore, William and catalogue the to introduction the wrote Ashton Julian fiveetchingsguineas.two toeachpricedone at contributed Adrian 1924. in Gallery Art Fine Groupexhibitionhadan Anthonyat Hordern’s other artists. Another society called The Younger with mostly followed, shows Many Artists. of He created his first etching in 1923, exhibiting Home Checklist magazines. SocietyNSWTheof ,published in 1964. Art in AustraliainArt

Painters. of Group Modern the as known was society This few. a name to Lambert, W G Maistre, de Roy Wakelin, Roland Preston, Margaret Proctor,AustralianTheaart:in Gruner,Elioth names household now the of many included Galleries Grosvenor at Exhibitors years. four manager.asAdrianrelationship Thisforlasted 3-colourwood engraving for P Tansey,1930 subject, and let her take the credit. All who knew one, but she lacked any inspiration on the dogiven to turn her was it when Roberts Hera for Adrianthatdesignmetoldthewouldoften do prestige magazine, the He was now creating many of the covers for the Australia, image famous appearbeganmid-twentiestofromthe hisand bookplates[but were actually wood engravings] Australia in reproduced being were bookplates oe n mr o Ara’ daig and drawings Adrian’s of more and More Wa wr rfre t a woodcut as to referred were What . Third series No. 27, September 1927. Circe NewsletterNo. a rpoue in reproduced was Home . John Winter once 8, March2008 r in Art r in Art a feature of Sydney’s favourite haunt of average of five guineas a bookplate, which writers and painters, Rowe Street. All was included 200 printed examples, signed and lost in the sixties when the Australia Hotel sometimes numbered. Some were hand and surrounding buildings were demolished coloured as well. He only used Turkish to make way for the MLC Centre … a time boxwood for all his wood engravings of much vandalism! The 1929 report of throughout his life. And of course, every the Australian Ex Libris Society stated that bookplate had to be carved or etched in Adrian was the most notable contributor to reverse using a small mirror to work from. the list of Australian published bookplates. During 1932 he moved to Darnley in P Neville Barnett, the guiding force behind Onslow Avenue, Elizabeth Bay. It was to the movement then and for decades to be his home which he shared with his life come, wrote a brief history of the bookplate, partner, John Winter, for the next twenty singling out Adrian for special mention. three years. To celebrate his close friendship Despite the stockmarket crash of 1929, it with the Clune family he published was a very good year for Adrian in 1930, as that year in an edition of thirty copies, he won 1st prize in the competition held in a booklet reproducing all the bookplates Pen and ink design for K B Noad, 1944; Los Angeles by the Bookplate International commissioned by the author, Frank Clune. Association, against over 700 entrants from There were five bookplates for various sixteen countries. His winning entry was a family members. All of these self-published him spoke of him in loving terms as a true wood engraving for Raoul Lempriere. As a books and booklets were done entirely by friend of integrity and of generous spirit. result, a one-man show of his bookplates was hand, and most carry the imprint of Feint’s With the founding of the Australian Ex libris held at the Library of Congress, Washington Palm Tree Press. Society following a successful exhibition in DC, organised by the American Society In 1933, the Sydney Art School invited May 1923 at Tyrrell’s Gallery in Sydney, of Bookplate Collectors and Designers. Adrian to submit four works for their it was not too long before Adrian was the To celebrate the completion of his 100th retrospective exhibition to cover the period dominantly featured artist. Commissions plate, for Barbara Rixson, a white-line wood 1890 to 1933. All of his works were shown. came from many diverse directions in those engraving, he published a booklet entitled In an article for Manuscripts magazine, halcyon years of great enthusiasm. In 1928 Bookplate 100 in a limited edition of six solicitor and bookplate collector Frank he published his first book under the Palm copies with tipped-in examples of the three E Lane wrote of Adrian’s development, Tree Press imprint ... Bookplates. John Lane states in creation of the design. The wood- characteristics and art of the bookplate, Mullins, President of the Australian Ex engraved bookplate for Lady Enid de Chair, whilst Art in Australia reproduced seven of Libris Society and bookplate patron, wrote Patron of the Australian Ex Libris Society, the latest designs. Again, despite the severe the introduction. It was just six years since was awarded 1st prize as best bookplate of and dire restrictions of the Depression, Adrian’s first bookplate had appeared and the year. It was reproduced in Art in Australia Adrian continued to enjoy success. The in that short time he had created sixty- No. 34, October-November 1930. 1934 publication by the Australian Ex eight individual designs. The book was in Still living at Burdekin House, where he Libris Society entitled Bookplate Artists, an edition of 125 copies and contained 21 had helped stage an exhibition the previous Number one, Adrian Feint was limited to one original bookplates tipped onto the pages. year known as the Modern Show, for which hundred and fifty copies. The introduction Over the years I contacted many of the he and had designed the was written by Carlyle S Baer, Secretary people who had owned bookplates designed interior of a study, his rent of two pounds of the American Society of Bookplate by Adrian, and each had an individual tale, ten shillings a week, despite the hardships of Collectors and Designers, and Mullins often funny, often with great nostalgia of how the Great Depression, did not seem to pose a wrote the forward. It included a checklist of their bookplate came into being. Perhaps problem. The building was later demolished all his plates to that date. one day I could share these memories with for St Stephen’s Church and the portico As if to prove all bookplate creators were the members. In 1929 he won second prize pillars now reside at St Malo in Hunter’s not dull literary types, a Coming Out Party in the Society of Artists annual show with Hill, near Fig Tree Bridge. The December was arranged by P Neville Barnett to clear a tempura painting, Magpies, which was 1931 issue of Art in Australia, known as the that image and to celebrate the publication subsequently reproduced in Art in Australia, Hugh McCrae number (Third series, No. of his latest effort, Woodcut book-plates. Third series, No. 29, September 1929. The 41), was completely illustrated by Adrian. If Barnett organised with Harrie Mortlock’s street sign he designed for Mrs Frances anything, Adrian’s star was shining brighter Beacon Press to have ‘very privately printed’ a Zabel’s Roycroft Book and Art Shop was than ever. He is thought to have charged an souvenir booklet, containing numerous light-

2 in its 1939 issue. He was increasingly being State Library of Queensland asked to illustrate various limited edition bookplate exhibition: some notes books. These included two publications of from a biased observer the Australian Limited Editions Society A By Mark J Ferson, Sydney Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay (1938), and the Life and Times of Captain As reported in the September issue, the John Piper (1939). Although no longer exhibition Ex Libris: bookplates from our involved with Grosvenor Galleries, he was collections ran at the State Library of Queens- invited in 1939 to have a one-man show land from 1 October 2007 to 28 January of his oils and watercolours which, by all 2008. Your humble President had been accounts, was a great success. His flower invited by curator Alison Wishart to give paintings were becoming a hallmark of his a talk on Friday 18 January and was given style. The Australian Academy’s third annual encouragement and the opportunity to hold show included works by , Adrian a launch of a possible Queensland chapter and others. The trio of Lloyd, Adrian and of the Society on the prior evening of Frank Medworth were singled out by the Thursday 17 January. The Library was kind reviewer as giving specific character to the enough to arrange transport from Sydney exhibition. The Academy was being torn to Brisbane and back again and accom- Etched design for M Moffat, 1925 apart by the many competing artists’ factions modation at a nearby hotel for the night. (above); copper plate (below). which had come and gone throughout the The exhibition was carefully researched preceding years. It did not last the distance. by Helen Cole, the Library’s art librarian, No bookplates were created between and beautifully arranged in the intimate 1939 and 1942. The Second World War and tranquil space of the Philip Bacon engulfed everyday life and Adrian joined Heritage Gallery on the Library’s fourth the Manpower Authority as part of his floor. An important feature of the exhibition contribution to the effort. He worked as was that it covered both historical and a bookbinder for Benjamin Waite printers contemporary aspects of the subject (much and binders, the publishers of the Story of like our Society). In addition, it somewhat John Fairfax (1941), which he illustrated. unusally made a link to the BookCrossings In this period he also worked with fellow movement (www.bookcrossing.com), in artists on the Ure Smith publications such which books are passed from person to as the Australian Weekend Book. person, each time being ‘released’ in some 1944 was the end of an era for Adrian public space to be acquired, temporarily, in the art of the bookplate. With the by the next reader. Although this turns the reworking of the wood engraving for traditional concept of book ownership on Gretchen Alexander, (née Borsdorf) who its head, and suggests that the bookplate had married and wished to be known is irrelevant in this situation, in fact, henceforth with her new name, he lay down bookplates are widely promoted for these hearted woodcut and linocut bookplates, his woodworking chisels and etcher’s tools books. Another important feature of the mostly by women artists. A strong Art Deco forever. His career as a painter flourished long running exhibition was the events influence can be seen in the images with one and to celebrate his flower paintings, Sydney program. In addition to tours conducted by or two word comments on each page. Ure Smith published a book of them in the Curator and Art Librarian, the first event By 1938 Adrian had created about one 1948 whilst his portrait was included in was a talk on bookplate design by artist hundred and eighty bookplates. He was the prestige volume, Alec Murray’s Album, and printmaker Ron McBurnie, whilst well probably the most prolific in the field a photographic collection of the elite of known Australian children’s book author in Australia. His design panel greeted all Sydney society of the day. and illustrator Narelle Oliver conducted an visitors to the Australian Main Pavilion at He died in his Sydney home, an ex libris design workshop for children. the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition and apartment in the building called Ashdown, The launch of the Society’s Queensland the Art Gallery of created in Elizabeth Bay. It had been purchased as Chapter was attended by about a dozen a special court featuring Adrian’s paintings. a gift to Adrian many years before by Sir people including professional and amateur The Annual covered the event James McGregor. The year was 1971. printmakers, book collectors and others

3 who had stumbled across the exhibition and them. The visitors’ book provides some Coleman Hyman and Australia’s were attracted by the beauty of the subject. evidence that the exhibition did open some first bookplate exhibit The President gave a short history of the eyes to a previously unappreciated world: By Mark J Ferson, Sydney Society and its antecedents and encouraged ◆ I’m excited! I’ve loved books for years – those present to keep in touch with each now I have a wonderful new world The pictorial bookplate movement in other and think about forming a local opened to me. Australia, and interest in bookplates as an group. The illustrated talk held on Friday artform rather than as a mark of social ◆ fascinating ‘world’ I’d never heard of 18 January was entitled ‘A century (and – great exhibition. standing, was initiated in the 1890s by a bit) of pictorial bookplates in Australia’ John Lane Mullins, a Sydney solicitor and ◆ could spend all day in this one room and presented to an audience of about 20 art patron. Mullins commissioned emerging – excellent! people, many of whom remained after the Australian artists to design bookplates for his talk to ask further questions, chat with ◆ Kids loved making their bookplates. own use and for members of his family. The each other or show the speaker interesting ◆ Heard interview on 612 (radio) and had first of these was a pen-and-ink design by examples of bookplates. The Society has to come on next visit to Brisbane. Percy F S Spence, dated 1892, incorporating acquired six Queensland members as a a view of Lane Mullins’ study but including a ◆ Wonderful exhibition – worth coming to result of this exposure, including the State Brisbane for. discreetly placed family coat of arms – a nod Library of Queensland and the Fryer Library, to both the owner’s position in society and Perhaps the last word should come from the University of Queensland, both of which the weight of heraldic tradition behind the Curator herself: have substantial collections of bookplates. bookplate.1 Over the subsequent decade, a Apart from some positive results for “What a treat it was to discover these group of artists including , the Society, the exhibition was a great personal and petite works of art in the , , success on a number of parameters. Curator form of a bookplate. The bookplates on and D H Souter began experimenting with Alison Wishart reports that over 9000 display in the Ex Libris exhibition are bookplates, spurred on by plentiful examples people attended the exhibition, and that only a small sample of the State Library of reproduced in the pages of the highly perhaps 5000 bookplates were designed at Queensland’s truly diverse and extensive influential London Studio magazine.2 workshops for visitors to take home with bookplate collection.”

Above: Curator, Alison Wishart (l) and Art Librarian, Helen Cole at the State Library of Queensland Right: Linocut bookplate by Ella, 10 years, exhibition workshop

4 There is, however, little documentation exhibit or exhibition. Unfortunately no album of library bookplates, which became from this time of Australian bookplate details exist of the bookplate display. Hyman the nucleus of Jane’s collection.10 collectors. In addition to Lane Mullins was born in Chatham, Kent in 1862, where Hyman’s contribution to the 1898 meeting himself we know a little about David he later became honorary secretary of the of the Library Association of Australasia was Scott Mitchell (1836-1907) who began his local synagogue. He arrived in Australia in emulated at the following meeting, held in collection by persuading a juvenile James 1885 and immediately became active in Adelaide from 9-12 October 1900, where Tyrrell to part with his first gathering of historical research and communal affairs, there were two displays.11 bookplates.3 In this atmosphere, the Library both Jewish and secular. The Government Item 683 was a collection of South Association of Australasia invited individuals Printer published his An account of the coin, Australian bookplates on loan from Mr and organisations to contribute books and coinages and currencies of Australasia for the G G Shaw. George Gerard Shaw (1856- related material to the Loan Exhibition Chicago Exposition of 1893. His article 1904) was an Adelaide photographer and which was to accompany its first meeting, ‘The progress of Jews in Australia’, featured portrait painter, a collector of coins, stamps to be held in Sydney during the first week of in the Jewish Herald of 21 September and and rare books, and was said by art hist- October, 1898. There were 620 items in the 5 October 1894. He returned to England orian William Moore to have been ‘a keen exhibition, loaned by institutional lenders c.1912 and died there on 29 December collector of Australiana’.12 Neither his such as the Public Library of New South 1929.5 personal bookplate nor his bookplate Wales, and private individuals including His obituarist records that ‘Long before collection have been located to date. His Professors M W McCallum and E E Miller, the Ex-Libris Society was formed, he was a son, Gerrard Gayfield Shaw (1885-1961) D S Mitchell and Rose Scott. keen collector of book plates and designed became a well known bookplate artist, Among these, Coleman P Hyman the prize plate for the Jewish Education specialising in etched designs. loaned (items 129-142) a collection of Board.’6 This bookplate, in the guise of a A larger selection loaned by Mr W T Australian currency, autographs of British prize plate from 1909, the first year of its Bednall was described thus: and Australian notables, a number of items use, is shown below; Percy Marks had an 692a. Series of book-plates, arranged of Jewish historical interest, early issues of example in his own collection.7 on sheets in the following order, viz. the Sydney Gazette, and at no. 140 a display Knowing what we do about Hyman, we – Early book plates, 1690-1790; Plates of ‘Book-plates’.4 could speculate that his display ‘140. Book- of Public Libraries; University and This is the earliest record that I have been plates’ comprised armorial bookplates of ecclesiastical; Colonial Governors and able to find of any Australian bookplate prominent Jews and other notable citizens old and prominent colonists; Ladies of both England and his temporary home [sic] plates; The book plate in its simpler in Australia, and possibly a smattering of form [could ‘simpler’ in fact mean the new-fangled pictorials being promoted typographic?]; Recent plates; Plates of by John Lane Mullins. Oddly, there is well-known authors; Book pile plates. no evidence from Australian or English records that Hyman ever owned a personal William Tompson Bednall (1838-1915) bookplate.8 was a printer and sub-editor with the Adelaide Perhaps of greater significance for Register.13 He joined the London-based Ex the early twentieth century passion for Libris Society in 1895 and eventually left his bookplate collecting, is the link we might collection numbering some 2184 examples draw between Hyman’s exhibit and Jane to the State Library of South Australia. Windeyer’s amassing of 2500 bookplates Three bookplates are recorded for Bednall, deposited half a century later in the all of them designed in London by Tebay, University of Sydney’s rare book collection, the earliest dated 1897.14 and so colourfully contextualised by the late Displays at subsequent meetings of the John Fletcher.9 The connection, if it existed, Association did not feature bookplates. Over might be Jane’s sister Margaret Windeyer, a decade was to pass before the competition who attended the Melbourne meeting of organised as a section of the 1907 Exhibition the Library Association of Australasia (and of Women’s Work, and the bookplate whose several essays are reprinted in the exhibitions mounted at the University of Prize plate in pen and ink by C P Hyman Conference proceedings), travelled to the Sydney and the National Art Gallery of New for the NSW Board of Jewish Education, United States to study librarianship, and on South Wales in association with P Neville 1909 her return in 1901 presented Jane with an Barnett, but these are another story.

5 [7] Percy J Marks, ‘Australian Jewish bookplates’, ([email protected]) or Filadelfo Ferri Jewish Herald, 16 Aug. 1912, page unknown. [8] Peake, op cit, records no bookplate for Hyman; at the University ([email protected]). Anthony Pincott, Bookplate Society (UK), personal Please contact the Editor on communication, 26 Jul. 2004. [9] John Fletcher, The Jane Windeyer bookplate [email protected] or telephone: 02 collection in the University of Sydney Library: a 9428 2863 if you are interested in entering catalogue. Sydney, Book Collectors’ Society of Australia, 1990 (Studies in Australian Bibliography, the competition and wish him to email no. 30). [10] Ibid, p ix. or post the application form with full [11] Transactions and proceedings of the Library information to you. Association of Australasia at its second general meeting, held at Adelaide, October 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th, 1900, Government Printer, Adelaide, 1901, p 85. [12] William Moore, The story of Australian art, Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1934 vol. 2, p 219. Recent articles and works on [13] This information was provided by Andrew Peake, bookplates Adelaide, personal communication, 31 Mar. 2002. [14] Andrew Peake, Australian personal bookplates, Adelaide, Tudor Australia Press, 2000, p 42. 1 Roger Butler, Printed images by Australian artists 1885-1955, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2007, pp 156-7, 166 This encyclopaedic and well-illustrated work notes the relationship between the Notes and happenings English between-the-Wars fine printing Bookplate by F Tebay, London, for International bookplate competition, movement and Australian bookplate design W T Bednall, 1904 University of Insubria, Italy of the same period. Images by A Feint and G D Perrottet I wish to acknowledge the assistance The Society has been approached by the 2 Mark J Ferson, ‘Coleman Hyman and of: Helen Bersten, Australian Jewish University of Insubria, which, as part of the Australia’s first bookplate exhibit’, Biblionews Historical Society; Rachelle Lever, NSW celebrations of the 10th anniversary of its and Australian Notes & Queries, no. 335 & Board of Jewish Education; the late Dr Ben founding, is mounting a bookplate design 336, Sep. & Dec. 2007, pp 118-123 Haneman for introducing me to Yehuda competition in collaboration with the Italian Uncovers evidence of a bookplate exhibit Feher and Mr Feher for information on Ex Libris Association (AIE). The theme of loaned by Hyman to the Loan Exhibition Percy J Marks; Gillian Dooley of Flinders the competitions is (in Italian) ‘De Libera of the Sydney meeting of the Library University Library, A G Peake and Maureen Universitate’ which our correspondent has Association of Australasia, October 1898; Koch for information on G G Shaw. translated as ‘University and freedom’. The refers also to bookplate exhibits at the This is an updated version of an article University of Insubria has its seat in Varese subsequent meeting of the Association, held of the same name published in Biblionews and Como, cities which nestle on the in Adelaide in October 1900, loaned by and Australian Notes & Queries, issue 355-6, edge of a lake and are close to the Prealpi W T Bednall and G G Shaw Sept.-Dec. 2007, pp 118-23 mountains, a region referred to as Insubria. 3 Bernard O’Neil and Peter Donovan, There are a number of rules of entry For the love of books: the Friends of the [1] Mark Ferson, ‘John Lane Mullins, father of into the competition, the main ones of State Library of South Australia, 1932- the Australian bookplate movement’, Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. 89, pt 1, which are that bookplates must be on paper 2007, Friends of the State Library of South Jun. 2003, pp 38-52. no larger than A5 size (148mmx210mm), Australia, Adelaide, 2007, pp 11, 15 [2] Mark J Ferson, ‘Australian bookplates of the 1890s: art nouveau experiments by Australian use the techniques of lithography, Andrew Peake drew my attention to artists’, World of Antiques and Art, Aug. 2007-Feb. 2008, pp 134-6 xylography (woodcut or wood engraving) the publication of this book; depicts the [3] James R Tyrrell, Old books, old friends, old or chalcography (which I believe translates bookplate denoting a donation to the State Sydney, Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1987, p 55. [4] Library Association of Australasia. Conference as copper engraving, but presumably also Library by the Friends as well as a design proceedings, 1898. (Occasional Papers in includes etching and related techniques), by C Wall Librarianship No. 8). Adelaide, Libraries Board of South Australia, 1969. to enter is free and the closing date is 31 4 Vivienne O’Neill, ‘Reading and writing’, [5] Compiled from a variety of sources including July 2008. There are three prizes of €2000, in Carter’s Yesterday’s paper: collecting Malcolm J Turnbull, ‘Two pioneers of Australian Jewish historiography: Alfred Newton Super and €1000 and €500. ephemera in Australia, John Furphy, Sydney, Hirsch Munz’, Australian Jewish Historical Society The University of Insubria website http:// 2007, pp 144-6 Journal, vol. 13, no. 3, 1996, pp 487-99 and papers in the Australian Jewish Historical Society file on decennale.uninsubria.it/ has information, Brief section on bookplates, with 8 Coleman P Hyman. [6] ‘Mr Coleman P Hyman’, Australian Jewish and Italian contacts for the competition images, including those by E Renton, and Chronicle, 27 Feb. 1930, p 11. are Mauro Mainardi, President of the AIE N and L Lindsay

6 Lucy Frances Lowry (née Falkiner, know quite a lot about her mother Ethel Mechanics’ Institution Hobart Town, 1905-77) Falkiner’s books; I wrote about her library Van Diemen’s Land and its affect on me during my childhood An amazing thing, the internet and its Not only did I receive a comprehensive in my book Ethel: a love story (1996). search engines! Members who both carefully answer to my request for information But I’ve never really thought much read the Newsletter and have good memories on Lucy Frances Lowry, but ‘Some mid- about Lucy’s taste in reading … I have may recall my inclusion of the bookplate nineteenth century typographic bookplates’ quite a number of examples of Falkiner for Lucy Frances Lowry on the back page by Dennis Bryans and myself in Newsletter family book plates, most of which date of issue no. 5 (June 2007). This short No. 6 of September 2007 elicited a response from about the same era as Lucy’s: my article noted, among other things, that the from friend and mentor Jeff Bidgood. One grandmother Ethel (who had artistic and book wherein the bookplate resided had of the illustrations to this article took the literary leanings), seems to have been in been bought from Frances Zabel’s Roycroft form of the oldest Australian bookplate the habit of commissioning them for all bookshop, and ended with a plea that in my own collection, a label for the Van her children, but I’ve never known who anyone knowing who Lucy was might get in Diemens’ Land Mechanics’ Institute, which the designers were. I would be very happy touch. Well I was most excited to receive an Dennis felt most likely dated from the to swap information if there is anything email from Sydney author Suzanne Falkiner 1840s or perhaps early 1850s. else you would like to know about Lucy. I a few weeks ago which opened with: Jeff has mined his extensive and well- have another bookplate of hers, I believe, organised collection of bookplates to unearth in the name ‘Lucy Falkiner’. Today I was following a Google trail trying what looks like an engraved design for to find out more about Mrs Frances Zabel the Mechanics Institution, Hobart Town, when I came upon your query below Suzanne and I have since exchanged V.D.L. Now, in his paper ‘Australia’s first from June 2007. Lucy, née Falkiner, numerous emails about the Falkiners’ mechanics institute and its very different was my paternal aunt and godmother. various bookplates and related topics. As she sister’ published in the proceedings of the She married James Lowry of Hawkes was interested in Lucy’s book, we met and conference Mechanics’ institutes: The way Bay, New Zealand in April 1926. I exchanged the book with bookplate in situ forward (Melbourne, Dept of Infrastructure, for a loose example of the 2000), librarian and library historian same design plus a number Stephan Petrow states that the Van Diemen’s of other Falkiner bookplates Land Mechanics’ Institute was renamed in of which Suzanne had 1857 the Hobart Town Mechanics’ Institute. spares. Suzanne also very Not surprisingly the Tasmaniana Collection kindly gave me a copy of the State Library of Tasmania holds of her Ethel: a love story bookplates for the Institute/Institution and I which she proceeded to asked the reference desk for any clues to the sign for me. There seem date the bookplate may have come into use. to be a number of other I subsequently received information from books in preparation from Jenny Jerome, librarian at the State Library this prolific pen and I look of Tasmania, that the original name of the forward to bringing them to Institute at its formation in 1828 was the your notice, in due course. Mechanics Institution, Hobart Town, Van And perhaps the Falkiner Diemen’s Land, and that a stamp was initially family bookplates could used to mark its books. I suspect that Jeff’s be the subject of an article plate is a pretty early one, but again, will be in a future number of the pleased to hear from anyone who may have Newsletter. a better idea of its period of usage.

Above: Etched design by E Warner for Ethelbert Falkiner Right: Engraved bookplate for Mechanics Institution, Hobart Town

7 IMPORTANT NOTICE Directory of members EX LIBRIS e plan to issue in late 2008 a Directory

A HE of members of the Society. Our aim BOOKPL NET SOCIET UST

W

W R ALIA is to illustrate the Directory with a bookplate Y A T E N

belonging to each member. If you do not have a personal bookplate, or have one

done some years ago, now is your excuse to THE NEW commission a bookplate. The Editor would AUSTRALIAN be pleased to help you locate a suitable artist BOOKPLATE if you need assistance. SOCIETY K Deadline 31 July 2008 M

Editorial Computer drawn and typeset digital print by Mary Keep We present in this issue quite a pot pourri of material, the headline for the New Australian Bookplate Society, 2007 feature being a vital and informative article on Adrian Feint by member and long-time print collector and dealer Richard King. Richard has over the years made contact with many of the individuals who had received or commissioned bookplates from Feint, and he has worked their insights about the artist’s life and work into his chronology of Feint’s art making. It is always a pleasant surprise when someone actually responds to questions thrown out into the void, and the advent of sophisticated internet search engines has greatly increased the likelihood that such questions will be seen by someone other than the intended, and in our case, small audience. So I am grateful for Suzanne Falkiner’s email concerning the identity of Lucy Lowry (see issue No. 5) and also to Jeff Bidgood for uncovering an interesting and probably older bookplate for the Hobart Town Mechanics Institution than the kindred design reproduced in Newsletter No. 6. The bookplate exhibition held recently in the State Library of Queensland has netted the Society 7 members, including one currently residing in the Northern Territory, so I am proud to report that we now have members in every State and Territory apart from Western Australia, as well as in New Zealand. Incidentally, I have also provided a short report on the very successful Brisbane exhibition. Finally I would like to thank Paul Feain for allowing me to reproduce his new Cornstalk Bookshop bookplate by Ellie Aroney, and in addition draw your attention to Mary Keep’s elegantly simple design for The New Australian Bookplate Society, a copy of which is Etched design by Ellie Aroney for the provided to members with this issue of the Newsletter. M F Cornstalk Bookshop, 2007

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